Jupiter Square Pluto: Thundering Bass

We are heading into the second of three rounds involving Jupiter in Libra squaring Pluto in Capricorn. On March 30, 2017 this alignment perfects yet again, however its vibrations already permeate the air like deep, thunderous bass notes pulsing away in the background. When Jupiter and Pluto align there is potential for massive transformation; the problem being that we usually have to make our way through a whole lot of crap on this journey to Illumination. With Jupiter presently in Libra, major issues tend to involve the beliefs and points of view we have about the institution of partnership – under this square, any dysfunctional relationship paradigms tend to be exposed and the ugly Truth laid bare. This process isn’t pretty, but is *is* honest! If we are to totally overhaul our partnering philosophy for the better, even the most uncomfortable parts must be put under a magnifying glass.

On the personal level, one manifestation we may see regarding this energy is that it can tend to blow up any toxic, hoary old issues within relationships; particularly those that center on themes involving resentment, power trips, manipulation, or control “baggage” we might be harboring on a conscious or subconscious level. There can be a sense of a huge implosion regarding this energy; where a relationship hits some kind of “fix it or fuck it” crisis point that isn’t so much external as the result from internal pressure that has been building from within for some time. Relationships where the growth of both parties have become stifled – particularly by the stagnation bred of any orthodoxy that has us entrenched in some kind of defunct status quo – are the most at risk for things coming to a head during this square. By that statement, I mean the adherence to any kind of social convention that may have led us into territory we could broadly label as “stuck and fucked”. For example, people in long-term relationships often experience pressure to get married because culturally and religiously we are programmed to see this as “good”. This is a wonderful thing when we’re partnered with the right partner and for the right reasons – it can certainly be a blessing that increases the intimacy of that connection and vastly enriches both parties in a way that helps them grow together.

But what if we’re not partnered with the “right” person or psychologically didn’t come together for all the “right” reasons? What if there was coercion involved; say perhaps by an arranged marriage? Or what if marriage doesn’t actually serve to level up our relationship? And perhaps the most horrifying (but possibly relatable) thought of all: What if we are just killing time together; wasting time and opportunity because there’s “nothing better going on”? What if we have come to the unpleasant but honest realization that we have somehow “settled”?

Quite simply, people are apt to want more out of their relationships under this energy – especially with a now-retrograde Venus deposing of both Jupiter and Pluto. This can create enormous tension; tension that has huge potential to both create and destroy. As dire as this may sound, there is value in being honest with ourselves and others. And we must have faith in this transformational process…even when it takes us through messy, muddy terrain.

This is not the kind of astro where we see that things have slid into a long, slow, Pluto-in-Capricorn state of deterioration and then allow these relationship issues to blow up in a big way now; not if we value the union and are of the “fix it” camp, anyway – perhaps a relationship guru may be able to render some assistance through the therapeutic process. But if instead we are of the “fuck it” philosophy, then perhaps we trust this collapse will ultimately prove constructive and to be for the good of us both in the end. However, if there is a better way to end it I highly suggest doing so because things can get real ugly and real vindictive under these skies!

At the beginning of this post I brought up the potential trigger points of resentment, power trips, manipulation, and control as being particularly problematic during this square, making these themes important to be aware of within ourselves and specifically with respect to our partnerships now. I think it’s important to understand that many of the aforementioned dynamics have the same lowest common psychological denominator of suspicion and fear; possibly the result of broken trust where our faith in others was damaged or destroyed at some point in our personal history. In situations where we have lacked power in the past it can unfortunately be easy to overcompensate for this by claiming too much power in a partnership, which can result in said behaviors.

The only way to heal this, though, is to be open and honest about it; first to ourselves and then to others. What would it look like if – instead of becoming reactive and manifesting this energy pathologically – we looked at this under the lens of “I’m having trouble trusting right now because it’s triggering ______ issue”? What if we were able to see the Truth that a fear-based approach to claiming our power will poison even the best of unions? Trust is the foundation of all good partnerships – if we can’t trust someone enough to where we constantly try to wield leverage over one another and repeatedly find ourselves enmeshed in all kinds of power plays, it’s a sign that we need to take a giant step back from the relationship. Strip everything away and the root of *real* intimacy is trust, which is based upon the concept of there being vulnerability. If there is no risk, then there is no real reward – it’s that simple. How can we possibly have the whole relationship enchilada when we can’t even metaphorically take our clothes off in front of each other?

Further, with a retrograde Venus as dispositor of both Jupiter in Libra and Pluto in Capricorn this energy seems like it could have a “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover” feel to it when growth, faith, and all that is good and holy within a union threatens to be choked off by the black tentacles of restrictive strangulation. This does generally seem to create an “open invitation” environment for some kind of intrusion to occur regardless of whether an affair is consciously or subconsciously sought out. Hush-hush types of opportunities can certainly be a hallmark of any Jupiter-Pluto alignment; especially when it’s something BIG being kept on the down-low. The problem is Jupiter will also tend to “out” these things, as this planet is pretty terrible when it comes to being secretive. But if one is truly hoping for the demise of a situation underneath it all, it certainly is a means to an end…literally. With Venus retrograde in Aries, we might not be brave enough to admit this is what we want. Or perhaps we are uncertain or confused about our true desires. Mind you, this should not be interpreted as justification, but it goes a long way in understanding true underpinning of the dynamics from all angles.